


Of Death and the Beyond

by SleepingReader



Category: Original Work
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-13
Updated: 2017-10-02
Packaged: 2018-10-04 05:55:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,678
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10269773
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SleepingReader/pseuds/SleepingReader
Summary: Even Death must die.





	1. The New Death

He wasn’t the Chosen One, that was clear. He had no specific hair, scar, special magic necklace or any other kind of jewellery, apart from the digital watch that he had won at a carnival game a year back. The only thing that was special about that watch was that the battery hadn’t died yet. 

But he was at the right place. In the right time.   
The wheel needs to keep turning, you see. The wheel of the universe needs to be turned. Otherwise the stars will fall out of the sky, the sun will go backwards, and the moon won’t rise at all, causing a strange sort of paradox.   
So this man, this normal 24 year old, as far as a 24 year old can be normal, is on time. The right time.   
Death is never late. At thirteen minutes past five, the 24 year old with the digital watch died. You can think of the way he died, if you like. It does not matter how. If you want him to die in a traffic accident, because you feel like drivers should be more careful, he died in a traffic accident. If you want him to die because of lightning, snakes, or a herd of horse-shark-men because it sounds cool, that’s fine too. Whatever suits your morality.

But the man died. 

And he was asked. Death must die, too. So the job changes hands every so often. James Bond said “You only die twice” And it’s true, for some. This 24 year old accepted the job, took the coat with the pens in the pockets from the girl that wore it before and made his way to the platform of the Beyond. He can ride the train, of course. There and Back. The job comes with perks. Most people only get to ride There. This man can choose his Beyond, once his time comes. Until then, he’ll help people who die down to the platform, he’ll help them write their messages, help them catch their train. If they are scared, he’ll ride with them a little. Most are not afraid, just confused.

But then again, who isn’t confused with trains?


	2. Haven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You may think heaven is pearly gates and clouds. It is not. You may think it’s a boat on a river, with a boatman you have to pay. It is not. You might think it’s eternal flames and agony. And you would still be wrong.  
> Heaven, as we call it, does not exist. 
> 
> Haven does. Haven is simply a train station, like the one we see in the last Harry Potter. If and when you die, you get transported here. The walls are not white, like in the movies. And there is no pearly gate. Your first impression will be of the many graffiti that adorns the walls. All sorts of colours and languages. Every now and then, a train stops. You may get on. Many people do. But you don’t need to. You could wait for the next train.

You may think heaven is pearly gates and clouds. It is not. You may think it’s a boat on a river, with a boatman you have to pay. It is not. You might think it’s eternal flames and agony. And you would still be wrong.  
Heaven, as we call it, does not exist. 

Haven does. Haven is simply a train station, like the one we see in the last Harry Potter. If and when you die, you get transported here. The walls are not white, like in the movies. And there is no pearly gate. Your first impression will be of the many graffiti that adorns the walls. All sorts of colours and languages. Every now and then, a train stops. You may get on. Many people do. But you don’t need to. You could wait for the next train. 

How about looking at the graffiti instead? Come on, let’s look at it for a bit. Walk up to the wall. Don’t worry, it’s all very clean. No peeing against the wall now. There are no bodily fluids when you’re dead. Ah, so you didn’t notice that yet? That you’re dead? Well, you went better than most, I must say. Died of old age with the family pet at your feet. They’ll have found your body in the morning. Don’t worry, they won’t fight over the will. In fact, I don’t think you don’t have to worry about anything anymore. Come on. Let’s look at the graffiti. 

See? All sorts of languages. Hebrew, Russian, Navajo, German… All of the ones that came before you. Can you read them? No? That’s okay. I can read them for you. Some of them only state their names, or whatever they want to leave. Maybe it’s a last thought, before you go Beyond.

Here. This one says: “Dear dad, I’m boarding the second blue train. I’ll wait for you at the Other Side. See you soon! Love, Bobby.” This one is for a lover. “My darling Sam, Walk down to 1945, take the fifth orange train. I will hold you soon. Love, Adam.” This one is my favourite of this year: “If you read this you sick fuck, I’m waiting for you at the Beyond of the first green train. Let’s finish what we started. You know who I am.”

The whole station is full of them. You can take a walk, if you like. They’re all sorted by year of death. I especially love the transition between hyroglyphs and written words. Hey, do you have anyone we can look for? Oh, yeah, I see. First in your family, huh? Yeah, it happens. Anyone you want to wait for? Any message you want to leave? Sure, I have a pen, right here. Take your pick! That’s a pretty good message, friend. Nice and clear. Oh, no, keep the pen. You might want to use it for something else. This is only the beginning. You may board any train you like. I don’t even know where most of them lead! Fun, right? 

Me? Oh, I’m not dead. Well, strictly speaking I am, but like more capital. Death, yeah. Though most just call me the Conductor. Yeah, like in the train conductor. Nah, you don’t need a ticket. 

You figured out which train to get on yet? They all lead Somewhere. There are no wrong choices here. Which one? Oh! That one! Yeah, I think that one would suit you really well. It will arrive in about 20 seconds. Sure, you can always board another train at the Beyond. None of them lead back here though. But they all lead On. 

What is On? Honestly, friend, I have no idea. I’m not really allowed to go there. Maybe it’s reincarnation. Maybe it’s heaven. What would you like it to be? Well, maybe it’s that. 

Hey, here’s your train. I promise, your loved ones will find you, wherever you go. Just keep on writing on those station walls and they’ll find you. Promise. Come on. Hop aboard. Any luggage? Nah, just joking. Hey, have fun out there okay?  
You’re welcome.  
Rest in peace!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you like it! Comments? Questions? Let me know!


	3. Before

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What is a legacy?

It had been many years before Death decided to quit. The biggest reason? Her shoes had worn down. Strange, how everything stayed the same, but shoes wore down. She had walked the train station for many decades, never growing tired, never growing older, never going to the Beyond.   
Her shoes had been good shoes, strong sturdy ones, but after fifty years, even these were done walking. She stared at them. She had been a ladies-maid for a long time, and was very particular about being representative to ones job. And being Death, or The Conductor, whichever the passers-by chose to call her, she definitely couldn’t do it with shabby shoes.   
It was quiet. Not many deaths today. 

“Very well… I think I am done.” She said to the empty station covered in writing. A smiley face drew her eye. She smiled back. In her mind, she saw what she had to do.   
She took off the coat with the pens in the pockets, and went to the Living for a while. In her mind was the place she needed to go. A house, on the edge of nowhere, where a kindly old man had just died in his sleep. She looked at his boots. They were new. She grinned. He would do. She spoke to the man.   
The man accepted.   
She wrote her message on the wall. Her own personal tagline for the ones she put on the train. “May your days be merry and bright!” in a red pen. She had always loved Christmas. The years seemed to fall from her face, and she took off her shoes and skipped onto the train. 

The man only took the job for about one and a half years, the time before his own husband died. He gave the coat with the pens in the pockets to a huge guy who had died in a building accident. The man thought the guy looked sturdy enough to deal with death.   
The builder accepted.   
The old man wrote his own quote on the wall: “Be Careful Out There”, in his personal royal blue.  
Then he took the hand of his husband and took the second train. 

The builder guy held the job for 20 years. Then he finally met the person who had caused the building accident. He gave the coat to a young woman, who had nice face. He thought the next people might want some comforting. She accepted. The builder pondered for a while, and then wrote his favorite swear word in red permanent marker on the wall (“Butthead”).  
Then he followed his enemy to the next part. 

The young woman, surprisingly, held the job for the longest. For five hundred and thirty nine years she did her duty, exchanging worn-out boots for newer, increasingly futuristic ones with strangers boarding the trains. She truly felt like she belonged there. She was delighted to be able to walk and run over the platforms. She had always liked trains. She liked going to the different On’s, and back to the platform for the next deaths. She never kept them waiting, and she was extremely good at the job.   
One day, a young man came along, and she fell in love. She asked him if he had anyone waiting for him and he replied: “No. You are already here”  
She asked him to wait. 

Then she shrugged off the coat with the pens in the pockets and gave it to a 24 year old man with a watch won at the fun-fair.   
Then, she wrote “Not All Those Who Wander Are Lost (Though Some Come Pretty Damn Close ;) )” on the wall in a black sharpie. She kissed her true love, and chose their train herself. 

And the 24 year old is where this story started…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, the girl that holds the job for the longest is a complete self-insert. I've always thought it would be a fascinating idea, to be Death itself.


End file.
